Re: Post-Prohibition NYC Whiskey Window Shopping

Awesome picture!! I can only imagine what that stuff tasted like

Gary (aka 'Country')=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"Too much of anything is bad, but too much of good whiskey is barely enough." - Mark Twain
"Because Whiskey Matters!" - David Perkins

Re: Post-Prohibition NYC Whiskey Window Shopping

What's more interesting to me is Paul Jones (a real Person) owned the Four Roses distillery in 1934 and the Rye whisky in those bottles was made by the A. P. Stitzel distillery which was owned by Pappy Van Winkle.

What's more interesting to me is Paul Jones (a real Person) owned the Four Roses distillery in 1934 and the Rye whisky in those bottles was made by the A. P. Stitzel distillery which was owned by Pappy Van Winkle.

I thought somebody said Stitzel never made rye? Could be totally mistaken though - fascinating info Squire!

Re: Post-Prohibition NYC Whiskey Window Shopping

Re: Post-Prohibition NYC Whiskey Window Shopping

Great picture with amazing period detail. Many brands are still available today, e.g. Four Roses, Seagram 7 Crown, Old Taylor, Pinch scotch, Ron Carioca (rum), Fleischmann Gin, etc. Note the blend of straight whiskeys in the bottom row, bottled with the store's name, Leon. He had a straight rye bottled for his store, too.

I spent quite a bit of time looking at other pictures on the site and most are stunning especially when you magnify them to full monitor size. There are a couple of saloon interiors where it's like you are standing at the bar and can see absinthe or Old Crow bottles except it's 1902 or something.

Funny thing is, a lot has changed but a lot hasn't. There are parts of Toronto that look very similar still to the buildings shown in these 100 year old + pictures. There was a pawn shop I saw whose equivalent is on Church Street in this city just north of King Street downtown. Even the liquor store display window is similar to many on the avenues in NYC east of Lexington, say. Or you'll see a depiction of a bell to show a phone booth and many here grew up with those signs. We still have light poles with electric wires almost exactly like in many of these pics. We could have been them...

Re: Post-Prohibition NYC Whiskey Window Shopping

Yes, Stitzel made rye, Wellers Malt Rye, Hollis Pure Rye, also rye recipe Bourbons, corn whisky, blended whisky as well as Weller Dry Gin, Peach, Apple and Grape Brandy under their own labels. Weller also made contract whisky and a number of private label brands.

A lot of these labels are beautifully reproduced in Sally Van Winkle Campbell's book, "Always Fine Bourbon", which is a history of her Grandfather, Pappy Van Winkle and the story of Old Fitzgerald.